The Fates Are Cruel
by midnightmarina
Summary: Nico is alone on the beach when Percy comes across him. Fluffy Percico!


**WARNING: This is a slash. BoyxBoy. Don't like it, don't read it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series—Rick Riordan does. Trust me; if I were Rick, Percico would already be canon. :D**

**ADDITIONAL NOTES: Sorry if characters are OOC! I'm a noob. XD**

* * *

Nico sat on the beach, hands on his knees; knees tucked up to his chin, alone.

Of course, he was used to being alone. But never before had loneliness hurt _this much._

Percy, who was taking a nightly stroll on the shoreline of Camp Half-Blood, noticed the pale boy sitting alone, and began to jog towards him. He figured that the boy needed some company. Hell, that was all that Percy had wanted after Annabeth had died: a friend; somebody to talk to.

He joined Nico, who only acknowledged his presence by a slight turn of his head. "Hey," Percy said quietly.

Nico continued to stare out into the ocean. "Hi." His voice sounded vaguely hoarse, as if he'd been crying and didn't want Percy to know. Percy didn't blame the guy.

They sat in silence like that for a while, watching the waves ebb and flow; the tide lapping at their toes.

"I- I'm sorry," Percy said suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence between them.

"For what?" Nico asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Percy scoffed. "Don't deny it, Nico," he told the pale boy. He paused for a moment. "Gods, I was such a _jerk_ to you."

Nico turned so that he was facing the taller demigod. "Don't need to be sorry about that, Percy." He sighed. "I… I was a jerk to you, too, you know…"

Percy said nothing for a minute or two, neither confirming nor denying this. "But… I'm also sorry… for Hazel."

Nico's eyes, Percy realized, were rimmed in red. The son of Hades looked down at the sand by his feet, clenching his fist, which was holding onto the hem of his black skull t-shirt. "She… she didn't deserve to die. None of them did."

And suddenly, Percy found Nico clinging onto his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, sobs wracking his thin figure. "Th-the fates a-are cruel," he said, hiccupping. "F-first they take B-Bianca, and… a-and now…"

Percy drew Nico closer, pulling him completely into his arms. "Shhh," he said soothingly, attempting to calm Nico down, or, at the very least, comfort him. "It'll be okay." And then, Percy did something that surprised even himself: he kissed the top of Nico's head.

They stayed like that for a half hour or so, Nico wrapped in Percy's arms, letting out the occasional sob; Percy whispering assurances to the boy, pressing his lips again and again in futile attempts to placate him to the top of his head.

Eventually, Nico's shoulders stopped shaking, and he disentangled himself from Percy's arms. It was hard for Percy to know for sure—what with the light of the pale moon—, but the son of Poseidon thought that Nico was blushing. "Hey," Percy murmured softly. "You- I'll always be there for you. No matter what; I—"

Suddenly, Nico's lips were on Percy's. The kiss itself, while full of desire, was chaste; virtuous, even, but even with that said, Percy's breath still caught. After a second or two, the time allotted for Percy to get over his disbelief, he began to kiss Nico back: his hands going to the back of Nico's head; his fingers winding themselves through the younger boy's black-as-night hair.

As quickly as they'd collided, Nico drew back, blushing. He looked down at the ground and started fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "Oh gods—I don't know why I just did that… _I'm an idiot_…," he said, muttering the last part to himself. "I- I'm sorry, Percy…"

But when Nico looked up, Percy was grinning. "Don't be sorry, Nico," Percy said tenderly, entwining his Nico's thin, pale fingers with his own tan ones. He leaned forward and rested his forehead gently on Nico's. Percy's grin morphed into a shy half-smile. "Besides; I love you."

Nico smiled. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that," he admitted. "I... I love you, too, Percy."


End file.
